Chinese robotics startup Unitree Robotics unveiled on Tuesday what it called the world's first mass-produced piloted mech robot, marking the company's boldest step yet from robot dogs to humanoid robots to science-fiction-style human mobility machines.

The machine, named GD01, starts at 3.9 million yuan ($650,000). In a video released on Tuesday, Unitree founder and CEO Wang Xingxing was seen personally climbing into the mech and driving it across mixed terrain, with the footage presented in real time and without playback acceleration.

Weighing roughly 500 kilograms with a rider onboard, the GD01 can switch between two-legged and four-legged movement modes. In bipedal form, the machine walks and turns on urban streets, while its quadruped mode is designed for more difficult terrain such as stairs and slopes.

The launch underscores the rapid technological progression of China's robotics industry, where companies are racing to commercialize increasingly complex humanoid systems as investors pour capital into embodied artificial intelligence.

Founded in Hangzhou, Unitree first gained global attention for its agile quadruped robot dogs before moving aggressively into humanoid robots.

The debut of a piloted mech suggests the company is now pushing toward heavier-duty human-machine mobility platforms.

The unveiling also comes as Unitree accelerates preparations for a listing on Shanghai's STAR Market. If successful, the company could become the first publicly traded humanoid robotics firm on China's A-share market.